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Angry BA ready to axe Qantas codeshare flights?

By David Flynn     Filed under: qantas, British Airways
  • published 5 Feb, 2013
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British Airways is reportedly prepared to cut its codeshare flights with Qantas in the wake of Qantas dissolving the airlines' joint venture in favour of a new alliance with Emirates.

A report in today's The Australian Financial Review suggests that BA has told Qantas "it would not reinstate the code-share agreement between the two airlines for connecting flights from Asia to London" after the BA-Qantas joint venture closes on March 31.

"While commercial discussions between the two airlines are understood to be continuing, and it is not yet clear if British Airways will continue to place its BA code on Qantas services from Asia to Australia" writes AFR aviation journalist Andrew Cleary, "one source said the UK airline was 'furious' about the way the Australian carrier had handled the announcement of the Emirates deal."

However, we should point out an error in the AFR article's statement that "if the dispute is not resolved, the Australian airline’s “QF” code will not appear on the BA flights and passengers may not be able to accrue frequent flyer points on those sectors" – Qantas points would still be earned on BA flights due to both airlines being members of the oneworld alliance.

Responding to the claims, a BA spokesman commented that "We are currently transitioning our relationship with Qantas and it’s nonsense to suggest that we are cancelling all our codeshares."

In a statement issued to the media later today, Qantas assured travellers that they "will still be able to travel with Qantas from Australia to Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong, and then on to London with British Airways, under the oneworld banner."

A spokesman for the airline added that “Qantas and British Airways still have a strong, amicable relationship. Our joint venture agreement is ending but we will still be working together on a number of routes and via oneworld”.

For the full report, visit  The Australian Financial Review

Profile

About David Flynn

David Flynn is the editor of Australian Business Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.

Follow @ausbt on Twitter

 

Email: david@ausbt.com.au

Twitter: @djsflynn

 

Have something to say? Post a comment now!

1 on 5/2/13 by madge

I think its all just rumour. If BA wanted to do this, why did they wait so long after QF announced its EK agreement?

The report also claims that it will be difficult to travel on a QF flight to SIN/BKK/HKG then a BA flight to LHR if they aren't on the same code. Isn't that what interlining is for?

2 on 5/2/13 by spinoza

The afr article is pretty confusing. As stated in this article it erroneously says you can't get FF points without codeshare. It also says you won't be able to book on the Qantas website. I don't think this is true since on Syd to Beijing via HK there are many flights on the HK to Beijing leg that use Dragonair or CX, and none of these have QF codeshare, but you can still book on the Qantas website...

1 on 5/2/13 by TheRealBabushka

@spinoza

Are you suggesting a QF pax may purchase SIN/LHR on BA12 or 16 from the qantas website, even when there are no QF flight numbers for those flights?

Will the prices offered also be reasonable lower booking class fares (it is as good as not offering them if only full fare Y is offered for economy bookings)?

1 on 6/2/13 by spinoza

I have no idea, all I know is I can book other flights on the Qantas website that have no QF numbers, though definitely not all. So it doesn't seem to be a consistent, black and white issue.

3 on 5/2/13 by moa999

If you look at the Qantas website there are plenty of EK, CX and indeed BA flights sold on  their own code rather than the QF codeshare.

4 on 6/2/13 by sch7458

This paragraph appears to make no sense at all:

"if the dispute is not resolved, the Australian airline’s “QF” code will not appear on the BA flights and passengers may not be able to accrue frequent flyer points on those sectors" – Qantas points would still be earned on BA flights due to both airlines being members of the oneworld alliance.

With or without codeshare, Avios or QF Flyer can still be earned as long as booking class permits mile earning (which apply in mostly cases). What has the codeshare QF/BA to do with mileage accrual? As long as they're still in OW and passenger's travelling with the right class, people is able to accrue the miles.

5 on 6/2/13 by cooper81

Totally untrue. 

 

QF sent an email to all their staff yesterday saying that the media reports are untrue and that QF retains a good relationship with BA. QF will continue to codeshared on BA's SIN - LHR flights as well as on BA flights to European destinations not served by EK. 

 

BA HAVE however said 'no' to QF placing its code on the SYD-SIN sector of the BA SYD-SIN-LHR flight so perhaps this is where this story originated. 

1 on 6/2/13 by Himeno

Yet this is posted on the Qantas website flight disruptions, "Customers affected by Qantas Network Changes" section.

"Effective 31 March 2013, the Qantas code will be removed from the following flights and Qantas codeshare customers will be rebooked onto the operating airline flight number:

- British Airways operated flights between Singapore - London (LHR) and Bangkok - London

  • QF319/QF320/QF3345/QF3346/QF3501/QF3502"
 

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